Come morning light
by that-first-glance-feeling
Summary: One-shot set after 4x15 - Poor Unfortunate Soul. Emma spends the night at the Jolly Roger after getting into an argument with her parents and having the same feeling that they were lying to her again. Fluff Feels and everything in between.


**A/N: Post 4x15 one-shot with Emma spending the night on the Jolly with Killian. I'm here for the feels and the fluff so you know what to expect :)**

**This is a birthday present for scribblecat27, who's a true gift to this fandom with her amazing art and her wonderful, lovely self. I hope she likes it!**

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_**Come morning light**_

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_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down,  
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now  
Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound_

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It's a foreign feeling that settles deep in her chest when she wakes up, opening her eyes to find a strong arm wrapped around her waist, fingers entwined with hers resting just below her heart, his nose nuzzling the back of her neck. _A new, but certainly welcome one_, she thinks as his hand tightens around hers and his accent thick with sleep puts a smile on her lips. "Morning, beautiful."

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After spending a good few hours discussing how they could free the Author from his own book with Regina, Henry and August, her parents entered the loft determined not to hear another word about villains and authors. She assumed they were simply spent from their hectic day trying to find Gold's cabin and then rescuing August so she didn't look into it much, offering to make them both a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon as she related August's news instead. Their dismissive looks and the palpable lie lining their excuses, however, were more than enough to convince her that she should have trusted her instincts days ago, when a certain impromptu hike had made all the alarms go off in her head.

She left the loft in a hurry, not bothering to give them a proper explanation or notice of when to expect her back, not that she was planning on coming back to spend the night there anyway. Unlike her parents, as it seemed these days, she didn't have a penchant for little white lies.

Her boundless steps echoed along the deserted streets of the town, their pace accelerating of their own accord in a half-successful attempt to stop her mind from replaying all the times she'd misplaced her trust before in a loop inside her head. When she found herself at the docks standing right in front of the Jolly Roger, Emma wisely decided now was not the time to look into the meaning of the unconscious compass she seemed to have inbuilt in her system, always and inevitably leading her back to him.

It was just after 9pm when she walked up the steps that took her to the main deck and she hoped she wasn't intruding, the immediate concern in his eyes when he found her knocking on the door to his quarters and the soft smile on his lips telling her she most definitely wasn't. He didn't press her, he never did, instead holding her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles every now and then as she took her time telling him of the many instances that made her feel certain her parents were hiding something important from her.

He remained in silence for a while, simply pulling her into his arms and kissing her hair while she hid her face on his shoulder. "Whatever it is they're hiding, love, I'm sure they think it's for the best that way."

"That doesn't change the fact that they're lying to me, Killian."

"You're right, it doesn't. And while that's probably not the best way to go about it, I'm sure they're only trying to protect you. Good people also make mistakes, Swan. That doesn't mean you should lose faith in them completely."

She pondered on his words and finally let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. She murmured a thank you into his skin, realising that he was probably right but she wasn't ready to face her parents just yet. "Do you think I could... sleep here tonight?"

She could feel the upward tilt of his lips when he kissed her forehead before pulling away a little to look at her. "It would be an honour to have you spending the night aboard, love. I hope you find the bed to your liking," Killian said, moving away from her when she pulled his arm back keeping him in place.

"Where are you going?" She asked, feeling her cheeks starting to burn and hoping the dim light in the room was enough to conceal her sudden embarrassment. He tilted his head to the side as though she was looking for an obvious answer and told her he was going to the crew's quarters.

"Can you..." - she started saying, and she knew from the way it felt like her face was on fire that there was no way she could hide the blush on her cheeks now - "Can you stay with me tonight?"

And for all she knew of Captain Innuendo and his almost unstoppable urge to make everything into a sexual allusion, she was never so glad for his sharp perceptiveness as on that moment, his understanding smile warming her all the way down to the tips of her toes.

"Of course, Emma."

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She carefully shifts in his arms and turns to face him, all mussed hair, crinkled face and sleepy eyes, looking at her in a way that makes her realise she should be feeling an urgent need to bolt and get the hell away from there. But what she feels is nothing like wanting to run away. It's quite the opposite, actually.

They may not have said the words to each other yet, but there was something to be said about finding out you're someone's happy ending.

And considering it was her, Emma Swan of all people, _the lost little girl who didn't matter and didn't think she ever would_, it was a testament to the depth of her feelings for him that she _wanted _to be his happy ending more than anything. She had felt so scared of the possibility of it being something - or someone - else that when he told her with startling clarity shining in his eyes and ringing in his strangled voice, her only instinct was to kiss the air out of his lungs, rather than running away until _she_ was breathless.

They may not have said the words yet, but between all their shared moments of casual intimacy, the reaching for each other's hand that felt more instinctive than conscious at this point, the silent understanding that they would always be there when they needed each other like the night before, saying it out loud seemed like a mere formality; one she knew they would get around to very, very soon.

"Good morning, you."

Her mind automatically starts to go through a mental list of all she has to do today, talking to her parents and facing her problems rather than running away from them being at the top of it. She mentally puts said list away and lets herself focus on the warmth surrounding her, the solid presence that comforts and reassures her with the gentlest touch and the littlest things that he knew always brought a smile to her face.

He had been so afraid of losing his happy ending, _of losing her_, that he didn't seem to realise how he was her happiness, too; _how she couldn't lose him, too_.

And in that moment, as she uses her thumb pad to smooth the worried creases forming on his forehead (he could read her like an open book even when he's barely half-awake as it turns out), she vows to herself she'll make him know just how much he means to her by showing him, little by little every day, that not only does she accept his confession, but the feeling is very much reciprocated.

It's a foreign feeling that settles deep in her chest when she wakes up beside him for the first time. _A new, but certainly welcome one_, she thinks as she takes in the way he looks at her like she's the sun rising in the east. She responds by humming contentedly and burrowing further into his side after placing a soft kiss on his lips. He tightens both arms around her and tucks his nose in her hair once again, breathing her in and letting out a deep, happy sigh.

She wonders if this is how every single one of her days could start from now on or if she is still in a dream. A very, very good one.

If the former, then she might be ready to start seriously considering the change.

If the latter, then she most certainly does not want to wake up from it anytime soon.

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**Reviews are always welcome and very much appreciated ^-^ thank you for reading! xx**


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